The process of incorporating new information into an existing schema is called what?

• A. Assimilation
• B. Accommodation
• C. Adaptation
• D. Integration

Answer: (B)

This question centers on how we fit new information into what we already know. The term for incorporating new input into an existing schema is assimilation. It means you interpret or map new experiences using your current mental framework, keeping the same structure while expanding its examples. For instance, if a child has a schema for “dog” and sees a new breed, they categorize it as a dog by applying familiar dog features, rather than changing the dog schema itself.

In contrast, accommodation is when the schema itself changes to fit the new information, such as realizing that not all four-legged animals are dogs and adjusting the schema to distinguish between dogs and cats. Adaptation is the broader process of adjusting schemas through both assimilation and accommodation, and integration isn’t the standard term used for this specific idea.